Sensormatic Officer Is Named New President Of Checkrobot

For the last 14 years, Leonard Barbato has been a vice president at Sensormatic Electronics Corp., helping that company become the leading maker of anti-shoplifting systems in the world.

Now the 46-year-old executive has been given a shot at a presidency. On Thursday, he was named president and chief executive officer of CheckRobot Inc., 2 miles away from his current office in Deerfield Beach. He assumes his duties Aug. 3.

Launched as a free-standing company by Sensormatic in April 1985, CheckRobot designs and makes automated checkout lines for supermarkets. The company began delivering its first units to Kroger earlier this year.

``It`s a startup operation with a lot of promise, and I`m really looking forward to making it a viable company and seeing it grow,`` Barbato said. ``It`s a tremendous self-service product that`s in tune with the times.``

Through the first nine months of its current fiscal year, CheckRobot lost $2.1 million on zero revenues. The company went public in 1985 at $2.50 a share. On Thursday the stock closed at $7.25, up 50 cents.

Barbato joined Sensormatic as chief financial officer in 1973 and was promoted to senior vice president of manufacturing in February 1986. At CheckRobot he will take the job of another former Sensormatic officer, David Humble, who remains the company`s chairman.

``Dave really likes to spend his time in product development, strategic planning and marketing. That`s what he`s best at,`` said his numbers-oriented successor.